Hosting Nathalia at Scott Oval on Saturday, Cobram proved too polished for the Purples in a comprehensive 12.16 (88) to 7.5 (47) victory, and in doing so moved to the top of a five-team battle for second.
All five teams from second to sixth now sit level with a 6-4 record more than halfway through the season.
With percentage now of utmost importance for those five clubs to distinguish themselves amid the chaotic top six, the Tigers’ 41-point victory on Saturday could prove invaluable down the stretch, as they add to what is a healthy differentiator of 165.86.
The win on the weekend began with a strong, if slightly wayward, opening term against the Purples, with the Tigers booting 3.5 while holding the visitors scoreless to take a 23-point lead into the quarter-time break, one which would be further extended in the second term.
Inaccuracy would again prevent Cobram from putting the game to bed entirely despite another dominant quarter, with a return of 2.5 enough to push the margin to 33 points by half-time as Nathalia was restricted to just 1.1, but it left the door ajar for a potential fightback.
And while it wasn’t exactly a momentous charge, the Purples did close the gap slightly after half-time, outscoring Cobram for the first time all afternoon with a 2.2 to 1.4 third quarter, however the Tigers still entered the final huddle with a 29-point lead, which probably didn’t reflect their dominance overall.
It proved more than enough, as the Tigers finally found their radar to slam home 6.2 in the final term, their best return of the contest, to extend the margin by two kicks before the final siren sounded, claiming the eventual 41-point victory and improving to a positive record once more.
Perry Lewis-Smith continued what has been a brilliant first season in yellow and black with another best-on-ground nod, booting two goals in the victory, closely followed by Bowen Calogero and Hunter Hardwidge, who both also kicked two majors, while Tyron Baden, Corey Pearse and Jake Hodgkin rounded out the best, the latter booting a game-high four goals.
It moves Cobram to the top of the logjam inside the top six, however the Tigers sit four games behind runaway leader Congupna, with The Road extending their unbeaten streak to 10 games to start the year.
Mulwala, Nathalia, Numurkah and Moama round out the rest of the top six all with a 6-4 record, while Tongala remains one game behind in seventh, with each game now crucial to determining the finishing order, with a double chance on offer come finals for the team that nabs second spot.
Cobram will look to extend its winning run to three games on the trot this weekend when it hosts ninth-placed Deniliquin at Scott Oval.
